Hello Fernbrooke Community,

Weeks 4 and 5 have seen all our students settling into the consistent routines of school. Over the fortnight, I have connected with our year 5 and 6 students during playtime and with our 2025 student leaders. Last week, the student council met Division 1 Councillor – Councillor Pye Augustine, Ipswich City Council. On her visit, Councillor Augustine shared with the students the privilege she experiences in supporting community groups and how it is personally fulfilling work. As a school community, we look forward to having Councillor Augustine and Ipswich City Council as valued partners this year and into the future.

Parents and Citizens' (P&C) at Fernbrooke SS in 2025

I want to acknowledge parents and community members who have reached out to me with the desire to start up a Fernbrooke SS P&C. As many may know, the P&C ceased in 2023. In our ninth year, I, like many staff and community, see a need to re-establish the P&C.

As a principal in other schools that I have led, I have valued having a positive P&C that is a productive partner to promote the interests of the school, and facilitate its development and further improvement, to achieve the best possible outcomes and experiences for students.

To start us off, I would like to host a 'meet and greet' session on Monday 10 March, at 1:30 pm at the school's Community Hub. During that hour we can talk about what is involved to recommence the P&C at the school and have an Annual General Meeting (AGM) to elect an executive in early term 2.

Have a great fortnight,

Scott

Principal

Fernbrooke State School STARS awards are handed to students by their class teacher and acknowledged at their assembly. Students are nominated by their class teacher. Each week Fernbrooke STARS recipients are shared in the newsletter. All Fernbrooke students are STARS because they are Safe, are Thinkers, Attend school, are Respectful and Successful learners.  As a community, we congratulate all these students in their efforts to Exceed Expectations.

Payment window/Uniform Shop open daily from 8.00am – 10.00am.

If paying with cash, please have the correct amount.  No cash is kept on site.

If you haven’t signed up for QParents Consent, please chat with the Office staff to assist with having this set up for your child/ren.  This is the preferred way of receiving permission to attend excursions etc.

Please note that payment for an excursion does not count as permission to attend. Education Queensland requires caregiver approval, which must be given either through QParents or a paper permission form.

Statements are sent at the beginning of each month.  A statement is a list of invoices or credits on your child’s school account.  A minus indicates a credit  eg. -20.00

Parents and visitors must use the front door to access the Office.  The back door is for students and staff only

If your child is absent, please use the absence line (38197466) rather than tying up the phone line. 

For early pick ups, students must be collected either side of the break times which are –

10.30am – 11.15am

1.00pm – 1.30pm

Welcome to Week 5 of Term 1 – Early Years (Prep to Year 2)
Our Early Years learners are working hard and truly shining as Fernbrooke Stars, and Exceeding Expectations everyday. Here’s to another exciting fortnight filled with exploration, creativity, and learning!

Prep

Literacy
As part of our English Unit, students are exploring The Very Cranky Bear. They are examining the characters, setting, events, and discovering what the characters like and dislike. We were thrilled to welcome Rodney for a special visit, and the children shared why they enjoyed Rodney Loses It even more! In phonics, they began reading their very first words using the sounds a, d, c, and s. Some of the words they decoded include:
• s-a-d
• d-a-d
• a-d
At home, please ask your child to sound out and read these words. We are also focusing on name writing and improving pencil control.

Maths
In Maths, our Preps are building number sense by recognising numbers 0 to 10. They’re exploring the question “How old are you?” and practicing counting forwards and backwards from 0 to 10.

Year One

Literacy
Year One students are engaging with both informative and imaginative texts. They are learning to spot the unique features of each text type and using these clues to find the most important information.

Maths
In Maths, our Year One students are exploring addition and subtraction through hands-on activities using number bonds, tens frames, and other materials.

Special Event – Step into History
We are excited to announce that this Friday, Year One will participate in our “Step into History” incursion! This immersive event will take our young historians on a journey back in time. They will have the opportunity to dress up in historical costumes, sparking their imaginations and learning about the past in a fun, interactive way.

Year Two

Literacy
As part of the Year Two English Unit, our creative journey continues as students collaborate to craft a story about a character. They are focusing on describing the character’s appearance, personality, feelings, and actions to bring their imaginative narratives to life.

Maths
In Year Two Maths, students are exploring addition and subtraction by breaking numbers into parts using the split strategy. They are also practising counting forwards and backwards on a number line, which helps to strengthen their number sense.

Parent/Teacher Interviews

Our Semester 1 Parent/Teacher interviews are scheduled for Monday, 17 March 2025. You can choose to have your discussion over the phone or in person at the school. Each interview will last about ten minutes and will be scheduled between 2:45 pm and 5:30 pm. This is a wonderful opportunity to discuss your child’s progress and explore ways to support their learning. Please be on the lookout for communication regarding interview locations.

If you cannot find a suitable time slot through the online booking system, please contact your child’s teacher to arrange an alternative. The online booking system will open at 9:00 am on Friday, 21 February 2025. To book your interview, please visit www.schoolinterviews.com.au and enter the code: x9yhb

Assembly – this Friday

Our Early Years assembly will be cancelled this Friday due to the hall being used for our Year 1 Incursion. Student of the Week awards will be presented to students in classrooms.

Swimming Lessons for Years 1 & 2
Swimming lessons will begin this term and run for three weeks, held on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, or Thursdays according to your child’s class schedule. A detailed timetable will be provided soon.

Lesson Dates:

• Tuesday: 11, 18, 25 March
• Wednesday: 12, 19, 26 March
• Thursday: 13, 20, 27 March

The sessions will take place at the Goodna Aquatic Centre (137 Brisbane Terrace, Goodna 4300) with qualified instructors leading the lessons. Transportation will be provided via a seat-belted bus under teacher supervision.

Please ensure your child brings the following items:
• A towel with their name, swimwear, and optionally goggles
• A swimming cap (required for those with shoulder-length or longer hair)
• Thongs or slip-on shoes for travel
• A plastic bag for storing wet clothes

The cost for the lessons, which also covers bus transportation, is $12.00. This fee has been greatly reduced thanks to school subsidies. Payments must be made by the designated deadline; late payments will not be accepted, and refunds are not available for missed lessons.
Please provide your permission through Q Parents (a paper form is available upon request). Both payment and permission are due by Wednesday, 5 March.

We look forward to a wonderful fortnight of learning and fun at Fernbrooke State School!

Warm regards
Theresa Parker
Deputy Principal – Early Years

We have a busy couple of weeks ahead of us in Years 3 and 4 with our Year 3 Street Science incursion on Thursday 6 of March, swimming for Year 4 in Weeks 7, 8 and 9 and NAPLAN for Year 3 in Weeks 7 and 8. This has prompted me to discuss with you the importance of the permission and payment process for your child to attend school excursion activities as we often have parents misunderstanding their part in the process.

As you can appreciate, organising a large group of students to attend an incursion onsite or an excursion offsite is a logistical nightmare with many steps involved in the process at a school level from booking confirmations to completing the activity on the day. As a parent, your involvement in the process is twofold. Firstly, there is the physical permission required for your child to attend the activity with your blessing in full knowledge of what they are doing and why. The second step is the actual payment for the activity. Both of these go hand in hand and cannot exist without the other. For example, even though you might have physically paid for an activity, which implies that you are giving permission for your child to attend, it is not legal permission. That must be done in addition to the payment through either the signing of a physical permission slip or through the QParents online platform. Likewise, it is not possible for your child to attend an activity if you have given permission but not paid for their participation. Both have to be completed before the payment closing date for your child to attend the incursion or excursion.

It is imperative that once you are advised of a school activity requiring payment and permission, that you attend to it prior to the closing date as any payment received after that time cannot be accepted and is the difference between your child attending and not attending the activity. This goes for permission too. You would be surprised to know of how many parents fail to complete both processes prior to the closing date. Not only does this cause you and child distress but it also creates a stressful situation for the school as we have to often meet a payment deadline with the organisation and transport companies involved which is set by them for us to adhere to.

I strongly encourage you to always complete both the payment and permission steps at the same time prior to the closing date to avoid any unnecessary embarrassment when faced with a rejection of attendance to that activity. If you ever need help in finalising this process, please don’t hesitate to contact the office staff for assistance.

See you around the school.

Shane Hancock

Deputy Principal – Years 3 and 4

We have had another busy week in Years 5 & 6.

STARLAB - The Year 5’s attended the StarLab incursion today and the feedback from the students was very positive. 

Here is a report about the incursion from 5E and their teacher Mrs Eriksson

Year 5 students loved attending our Starlab incursion in the hall on Wednesday. First of all, we went inside the dome and viewed the planets up close, learning about their physical features and atmospheres. After that, we saw how the sun rises in the east and sets in the west because of the Earth's rotation. Then we learnt all about the satellites in space and how they help us in our everyday lives with tracking animals, recording weather events, communication with each other and navigating using GPS. We laid down on the floor and travelled to the international space station and were introduced to inventions that have been developed because of NASA's space exploration. The teachers told us that one day we may even be able to visit Mars! We are looking forward to being able to apply all of this learning to our Science unit.

NAPLAN - With the NAPLAN testing period (Wednesday March 12 – Monday March 24) rapidly approaching, the Year 5 students have begun to engage in activities to help them become familiar with the online platform and the tools they will use to complete their NAPLAN assessments.

On Wednesday, March 5, the Year 5 students will complete the Omnibus test.  In the Omnibus assessment the children answer Conventions of Language, Reading and Numeracy questions.  This gives the students an opportunity to engage with the range of question formats and the online tools that they use in NAPLAN.  The Omnibus is for practice purposes only, so the children are deidentified and no data is collected.

If you have any questions regarding the Omnibus Practice Test or NAPLAN please contact your classroom teacher or myself:  Kerry Alberts.

Swimming - Year 6 swimming will occur in Weeks 7, 8 and 9. A note has been sent home with the details of these lessons and the timetable will be finalised once we have identified the number of students attending. Lessons will be conducted at Goodna Aquatic Centre. Travel to the pool will be by a seat belted bus under teacher supervision.

The cost of swimming will be $12.00, which will cover the cost for the swimming lessons and the bus.  Once again, please use Q Parents to grant permission for your child to take part in the swimming program. Please note that no late payments will be accepted from Wednesday, March 5.

Parent Teacher Interviews – These meetings, which are an invaluable way to connect with your child’s teacher, will be conducted across all year levels on Monday, March 17. Please take the time to come and meet your child’s teacher to learn about your child’s school experience and development.

Year 6 Camp – A note was sent home with the Year 6 students, offering another opportunity to secure a place at the Year 6 camp which will be held from October 20 – October 22 this year.  A deposit of $50 can be made to the office by Friday, March 21.  If you have previously paid this deposit, there is no further action to take until invoices are sent out.  Once the invoices have been issued, you can contact the office to organise a payment plan should you wish to pay off the total amount over a period of time.

Year 3 Street Science Incursion: Hardcore Heat Workshop & Signature Science Show!

Get ready, scientists! Year 3 students at Fernbrooke State School are about to experience the explosive power of science with an exciting Street Science incursion. This engaging and interactive event will spark curiosity and inspire young minds as they dive into the fascinating world of heat, energy, and chemical reactions.

Hardcore Heat Workshop

In the Hardcore Heat Workshop, students will explore the science of heat and combustion, witnessing fiery experiments and discovering how different materials react to extreme temperatures. Through hands-on investigations, students will gain a deeper understanding of thermal energy, chemical changes, and the role of heat in our everyday lives.

Signature Science Show

The fun doesn’t stop there! Students will also enjoy the Signature Science Show, a high-energy performance packed with jaw-dropping demonstrations. From smoke, sparks, and flames to fascinating science concepts brought to life, this show is sure to leave students amazed and eager to learn more.

Key Details:

• Incursion Date: Thursday, 6 March 2025
• Cost: $18.00
• Payment & Permission Due: PAYMENTS HAVE BEEN CLOSED

This is a fantastic opportunity for Year 3 students to experience real-world science in action and develop a love for STEM learning. The Street Science team are experts at bringing science to life in a fun and engaging way, making this incursion an unmissable event!

Parents, please ensure permission forms and payment are submitted by the due date to secure your child’s participation in this exciting learning experience. We can’t wait to see our young scientists ignite their passion for discovery!

We are pleased to inform you that the Curriculum Overviews for this term have been emailed to all families. These overviews provide valuable insights into what your child will be learning across all subjects, helping you stay connected with their education journey.

In addition to the emailed copies, the Curriculum Overviews are also accessible on the school website for your convenience. Simply visit the website (https://fernbrookess.eq.edu.au/curriculum) , and you’ll find the overviews available for each year level, outlining the key topics, learning goals, and upcoming activities for the term.

We encourage all parents and guardians to review these overviews to better understand how you can support your child's learning at home. Should you have any questions about the curriculum or wish to discuss your child's progress, please don’t hesitate to reach out to their teacher.

Thank you for your continued partnership in supporting our students' education!

A casual position exists for a School Crossing Supervisor at Fernbrooke State School.   

The hours of work for the School Crossing Supervisor may be up to an Hour and a Half on any school day in all weather conditions and is paid at $37.00 per hour.

Commencement of work for the successful applicant is dependent on:

• The favourable outcome of a health assessment carried out by a duly qualified Medical Practitioner according to the guidelines in the “Notes for Medical Practitioner” on the School Crossing Supervisor Scheme - Health Assessment Form.
• The applicant must either hold a current Blue Card or be eligible to apply for a Blue Card to the Commission for Blue Card Services. An applicant will not be employed by the Department of Transport and Main Roads unless they meet this criterion.

Department of Transport of Main Roads will organise and fund both Medical and Blue Card for selected applicant.

Interested applicants should send their Resume to Jo Philp at ipswichroadsafety@tmr.qld.gov.au or phone 0439 875 731.

Important

As at 21 January 2025 applications are closed due to an overwhelming response. All fair play vouchers have been exhausted.